Byu Solar Panel Origami

Single degree of freedom rigidly foldable origami flashers.

Byu solar panel origami.

Applying origami principles on rigid silicon solar panels a material considerably thicker than the paper used for the traditional japanese art the byu conceived solar array would unfold to. Lang robert j spencer magleby and larry howell. Brian trease at nasa s jet propulsion laboratory has been thinking about how it could be used in spacecraft. Accommodating thickness in origami based deployable arrays journal of mechanical design 135 11 2013.

2 million was awarded to byu s compliant mechanisms research group of which zirbel is a part by the national science foundation and the u s. Working with nasa s jet propulsion laboratory a team of mechanical engineering students and faculty have designed a solar array that can be tightly compacted for launch and then deployed. Rigidly foldable origami twists. Solar power origami style nasa.

Byu engineers hope to help back pain. Zirbel shannon a et al. Origami has been a hot topic in technology recently. Air force to research engineering applications of origami.

Amanda kae fronk ba 09. This is a unique crossover of art and culture and. Trease researchers from brigham young university and origami expert robert lang have created working prototypes of the origami solar panels. 156 panels cover zirbel s solar array to which solar cells are affixed.

Applying origami principles on rigid silicon solar panels a material considerably thicker than the paper used for the traditional japanese art the byu conceived solar array would unfold to nearly 10 times its stored size. For more information on the design of the solar panel see these publications. A group of byu engineers has teamed up with physicist and world renowned origami expert robert lang to produce solar arrays or solar panels for nasa that can be compacted for launch using. Origami is a source of inspiration for byu mechanical engineers who are working with the national science foundation nasa jpl and origami master robert lang.

Highly compressible origami bellows.